To What End Were We Born?

     In the scriptures our life span is likened to that of a blade of grass.  It quickly withers dies and goes away.  Not to say our lives are meaningless or of little value.  But we are endowed with a spirit within that seeks the eternal, even though is seems as if it slips through our hands quickly.
    Those who take the stand that there is more to our life than a mere 70-80 years we are here are correct.  Christians are among those who believe that a resurrection will occur at the end of this life and when we obey faithfully the commands set forth by our Lord, Jesus, we will be like him.  For he is the "firstborn from the dead."  And we too must come to the end and then rise, like he did.
     This puts us in a frame of mind to faithfully live out our lives as people who are filled with love, serve others, humble ourselves and re-think our way of living to best fulfill that command.
     After the Israelites, crossed over the Jordan, after forty years of wandering, laws were set forth for just this kind of living.  A blessing for those who lived accordingly and a curse for those who did not.
     Christ did not do away with the law, just legalism, that was highly developed and embraced by certain high sects within Jewish life.  The letter killed while the Spirit gave life.  This life we have so shorten by God's decree because of disobedience beckons us to find out how to live it to the fullest while here, and it is a battle.  Satan stands at times before God and accuses us before him like Job, and we can and do overcome that by the word of our testimony and the blood of the lamb.  (Slain before the foundation of our world ) we will live again....what wonders await us?  One can only dream.  We look at the abundant beauty of what's left around us in our natural surroundings and see only dimly what must have been before.  For those who do not think climate change is important only need look at what has been lost in the last 50 years of  our life span. Species lost and melt off from Antarctica and pollution in cities of Shanghai, and Beijing so thick it sometimes resembles a thick fog.
     Yet we still must find ourselves and our lives liveable and find out "To what end were we born?" In that sense it is urgent to seek the one who has the answers.  Peace.

Hearing in The Dark

    We were all around the Master. The fire was glowing, the wood crackling softly, throwing a glow out into the woods. It was quiet.  No one else was around.  He began to speak.  "What you are about to hear, now in this place, just us and in the dark, proclaim tomorrow in the daylight."  "The words I speak, are washing words, you are now my friends, no longer servants."  So go and carry with you no scrip, no bags, no extra cloaks or food,  for sufficient for the day are the problems of that day."
   So we listened, enraptured, captured by his word.  We put them away in our hearts for we knew the power of his word.  Just the day before we watched him still the waters, as we were all afraid of being overturned in our boat.  "What kind of man was this.?   People said.  We knew...  he is Lord.
     Private places and private words he spoke in the darkness.  Parables one after another came at us confusing us, making us marvel at his word and who he was.  Just 12 of us, and we were to "go into all the world."  Well the world to us was local. Family, friends, villages, and they did not listen to us at all.  
                                        "Who then would?  Will you?   Will they?  




Listen carefully, in the secret place...................in the quiet you will hear him.

The Master's Hand;

     Do not worry, do not be afraid, do not let your hearts be sorrowful, and do not worry about tomorrow.   These are the words that are comforting in a climate where change is rapid, and mirrors the same climate as in the days of Jesus, and the Roman Empire.  The "Master", as he was called, spoke these words to his friends now called because, they listened to him, took in his words and applied them out of love and respect to the one who showed himself to be master and Lord over all.  So these words had power and meaning and were to be obeyed.  lt's hard to do considering that change is thrust upon us sometimes unwillingly, and makes us uncomfortable.  We like status quo, that is events that are easily managed and within our grasp.  At least I do.  The Master or Rabbi, was more than teacher or a good man as some intimated.  "Why do you call me good?"  He asked.  " No one is good, except God."  Was the answer.  If you missed that then you missed the humble and contrite Spirit exemplified in Christ.  He would not equate his human qualities as equal with God's or his Father's. Although he often spoke of his being "before Abraham and , I Am." as being qualitatively God.
     The Jews were enraged over this because they could not wrap their legal minds around and incarnate God, who was weak, suffered in the flesh, and died.  Impossible?  God cannot die!
    So if Jesus resurrected as he said he would, ? "Destroy this temple, and in three day I will raise it up again.  'Preposterous said the Jews', 70 years it took to build it.  " An you can raise it up in three days?"
      Find out for yourself.........The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, will raise you also.....when you are filled with it.    This is not a simple believers prayer but comes with a repentant heart to obey.....as a friend and disciple of the MASTER.
SO TODAY, DO NOT WORRY....ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE BIG .......trump.(note how small the letter are.)
   

Thunder and Clouds on the Horizon

 

     The lie is out;  In plain sight.  We now have a President governing this country that is a liar and cannot distinguish truth from lies.  Even our media has written and is writing and putting out all of it in front of our eyes.  As I have written before in March of last year and further on in September  I have noted his ways and have spoken of his blasphemy towards not only God "not needing forgiveness" and mocking that which comes against him.  I said is was Spiritual and I still stand by that assessment of our now 45th President. It saddens me to call it out but I fear we have as Dan Rather pointed out " we have entered another reality the Twilight Zone of politics."
     Anything goes it seems that comes out of this man's mouth.  What I see happening is a darkening of our political realm and the levers of power he is about to pull is somewhat frightening.  There are thunder and clouds around us. and not only us , but what about all the other parts of the world he is about to affect?  We should be very aware of this type of  man and what he can do.  Already he disparges free speech and contends that they are the worst people of all those who write what may be the truth about him.  Denial, twisiting, mockery, confusion of thought, these are apparenty the hallmarks shown in plain sight in the first week of his Presidency.  The blocking of countries that may house terrorists  is one thing but I fear that a distinction is coming that will call out Christians as well.  Marking those who are "acceptable", how are we to draw lines of distinction clearly?  What will be the guidlines alone? Religion or tests  of Religiousity?
     Remember only  70 years has past since a regime of Nazizism did that very thing. Eradication of Jews,and all  those the regime branded "unpure."
     Our Constitution grants certain freedoms other countries only dream about. Our inalienable rights our equality and our freedoms will have to be watched more closely say than in generations.  I still remember the resignation of Richard nixon and the anti government feelings of that era.  The Pentagon Papers, the lies of Vietnam and the un pronounced war still are deeply embeded within me.  Watergate will look like kindergarten compared to the cyber warfare we are headed into.  The very thought that our election was influence by Russia and that Hillary Clinton lost the election because of the FBI's untimely disclosure of emails unthinkable even 8 years ago.
     So why do I do what I do every day?   I Pray, and live according to a different set of guidelines.  Guidelines established millenia ago, by a very humble servant, Jesus  Christ.  Words he spoke I have learned to cherish, take in my heart, and live by.  Words the he himself said were "full of the Spirit."  Lifegiving and trustworthy.  If you have not had such an encounter, "make it so in the words"  of Jean-Luc!  Peace.

   

Faith and Suicidal Pigs!

     In the land of Gad of biblical times there were shepards that made their living herding and selling pigs.  These were decendants of Gad. Whether or not they were "true Jews" we may not really know.  All we know is that this tribe originally stemmed from those of the Exodus and settled on the East side of the Jordan.  Jesus, in his time took a boat crossed over and was met by a demon possesed man whom he healed.  Jesus delivered the Demons into the pigs and they promptly however went mad and rushed over a cliff to their untimely death!  Suicidal pigs I have never seen!  But these were.  Which begs the question.......was this normal behavior for animals?  I do not think so.  So we have here a double story. One of faith and suicidal pigs.  The man or the demoniac as he was called was returned to health and returned to tell his story to his hometown brethren.  To which they were amazed.  However those who made their living with pigs just witnessed their money so to speak disappear over a cliff!  Did they praise God for the man and his health?  Did they worship the Lord they had just seen do this marvelous thing?  No, they begged Jesus to depart from their land!  They were both afraid of him, and probably distressed that the pigs and their livelyhood had just been eliminated.  Their eyes were not open.  And they also were earning a living with and animal that was "unclean" according ot OT law.  So Judgement occurred, Faith was released and hearts were uncovered for what was in their hearts was revealed.   Remarkable all that at the meeting of Jesus.
     Happy New Year!  May your eyes be open in our days that we live in and see God for who he really is!  P.s. I have been absent in writing this blog,  for too long, probablly because of a mental block due to recent events in our country and around the world as well. Just too much to contemplate sometimes but happy to be writing again!

ADDENDUM TO THE POST JUST WRITTEN!

MAKE NO MISTAKE. WHAT TRUMP DOES IS DEFILE.  ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. THAT IS A SPIRIT AND THAT IS NOT INNOCENCE BUT A WILLFULNESS TO HEAP ON ANYONE AND EVERYONE THAT DOES NOT COME UNDER HIS AUTHORITY. I HAVE SEEN IT AND I RECOGNIZE IT FOR WHAT IT IS. AND SO SHOULD EVERYONE. IT IS NOT SIMPLY 'LOCKER ROOM TALK' BUT IS ATTACK AND CONQUER MENTALITY. THE LAME THE DEAD THE THE WEAK AND ALL THOSE WHO STOOD UP ARE TARGETS FOR HIM.  "BE YE HOLY , FOR I AM HOLY, WALK IN THE LIGHT, WE ARE NOT OF THE NIGHT WHERE DARKNESS WHERE THOSE WHO HIDE WISH TO DO EVIL BUT WE ARE OF THE DAY.........

CLEAN AT LAST......

   I CHALLENGE ANY ONE TO BE FEELING CLEAN RIGHT ABOUT NOW.  I AM GLAD THIS CAMPAIGN SEASON IS ABOUT TO COME TO AN END.  WITH ALL THE DIRT AND FILTH AIRED ON NATIONAL MEDIA I FEEL LIKE I AM IN MUD WITH THE PIGS.  AND SO I PRAY TODAY TO FEEL THE CLEANESS OF MY LORD AND GOD WHO WASHED US ALL WHO PARTAKE IN HIS DEATH AND ATONEMENT TO BE IN HIS EYES"WHITER THAT SNOW. I KNOW WE CAN NOT FEEL THIS WITHOUT HIM.  THE LORD JESUS IS THE STANDARD FOR OUR LIVES. EVERYTHING HE DID HE DID PERFECT.  ATONED FOR MULTITUDES OF OUR HUMAN SINS AND CLEANSED THOSE WITH DIS-EASE AND HEALED THOSE WITH AILMENTS FROM BIRTH, AND TAUGHT PERFECT WISDOM FROM ABOVE.   THE PURE WEIGHT CAST UPON US BY ORIGINAL SIN WAS TAKEN IF YOU LET IT AND ACCEPT IT.  AND SO TODAY I THANK GOD FOR THE ABILITY TO STAND ABOVE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD WEIGH ME DOWN AND DENY THE ONE WHO IS BEHIND ALL OF THIS AND RESIST HIM.  YOU DO THE SAME....REJOICE...AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!